This week, we got a glimpse of the upcoming American Horror Story: Apocalypse [1] when FX dropped the first official trailer [2]. It's definitely one of the most hypnotizing pieces we've seen from the show in a long time; it's a bunch of cryptic vignettes and scenes that seem to be teeming with symbolism. Although we've been privy to a lot of tangible information about the season — we've got a title [3], a cast of characters [4], and a confirmed appearance by Jessica Lange [5] — we've also submerged ourselves in theories. We've already speculated on how the apocalypse might play out [6] and how the Antichrist might factor in [7]. But with this teaser, our brains are going into overdrive!
The Dying Embryo
- What Happens: A fetus floats to the top of an hourglass. Slowly, it begins to turn black, and we pan down to see what's in the other end of the hourglass: a rotting heart.
- What It Could Mean: This, presumably, is the beginning of the season. The heart of humanity has grown rotten. Slowly, we are poisoning the earth and ourselves. To me, this seems like a commentary of the state of affairs, a moment of reckoning that signifies why the apocalypse begins: we've brought it upon ourselves, and it's time for a cleanse.
The Nuclear Apocalypse
- What Happens: The heart from the previous vignette disintegrates into the fiery jet of what looks like a rocket ship. Then, we transition to a huge nuclear explosion of a vast city on a desert landscape. In darkness, we see a couple lying together in the remains of civilization. On the right is a dead bald man, and on the left is a woman in a red slip, wearing a gas mask. She turns her head to face the camera before she melts, leaving behind a skull. Two black clawed hands pull it to the depths below.
- What It Could Mean: This could, I think, be taken literally as the apocalypse itself. Nuclear fallout makes sense, given the fact that hints of a radioactive plot [8] have been circulating for months. Most of humanity perishes in a nuclear holocaust, with a few remaining survivors. But it seems even the survivors are in danger of the evil that lurks in the aftermath.
The Fig and the Scorpions
- What Happens: A lone fig sits in darkness, and a demon hand slices it open with a single claw. Two scorpions stumble out and begin to fight: one is white and one is black. They sting each other mercilessly as the camera pans away.
- What It Could Mean: This has to be the most direct reference to the Bible in the teaser. The fig is important because it partially represents the loss of innocence: it's how Adam and Eve create garments after they sin and eat the Forbidden Fruit. The passage from Genesis reads: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves." This likely is a confirmation that biblical themes will, indeed, be woven into the season, especially with Michael Langdon running around as the Antichrist. The scorpions also seem to represent the battle between good and evil, and, well, the black scorpion emerges victorious. Bleak.
The Shattered Window
- What Happens: A beautiful gothic skylight shatters as a huge group of winged creatures, presumably bats or crows, flies through. What's left is a five-pointed star, perhaps a pentagram. We watch as the shape erupts into flames; suddenly, it's etched onto the side of a wooden box. More demon hands emerge, grasping the box and pulling it into the flames of a furnace, or perhaps even a fiery pit of Hell.
- What It Could Mean: Another reference to the devil and the occult. The pentagram itself could refer to the witches of our season, as the symbol aligns more closely with witchcraft and Satanism. Could it be a sign that some witches will be pulled into Hell, or into the dark side? Will the battle between good and evil descend into the underworld? Will all the witches be destroyed in a battle against the armies of Satan? It sure seems like it.
The Hourglass
- What Happens: As an explosion washes over the screen, we suddenly realize it's raining skulls . . . in the hourglass from the first shot. One last demon hand comes into frame, grips the hourglass, and flips it over. Everything inside goes dark, and the skulls continue to fall.
- What It Could Mean: This, to me, is one of the most interesting parts of the teaser. It symbolizes, in some ways, that the End of Days is just the beginning. On one hand, the vignette could be saying that a newer, darker world will bloom from the carnage of our decimated society. Part of me wonders, too, if this is Ryan Murphy's way of resetting the entire American Horror Story timeline [9]. Wouldn't that be wild? Once we reach season nine, it may be time to start from scratch.